Thursday, February 23, 2012

Boko Haram kill six policemen in Kano attacks

(AFP) Gunmen shot dead six policemen in two attacks suspected to have been the work of Islamist sect Boko Haram, including one incident near the home of Nigeria's top police chief, police said Thursday. In the deadliest assault, four policemen were gunned down on Thursday by men on motorcycles at a checkpoint a few hundred metres from the home of Muhammad Abubakar, who was appointed Nigeria's police chief only last month.

The attack occurred in the northern city of Kano, the scene of Boko Haram's deadliest ever assault that left 185 people dead last month after a wave of coordinated bomb and gun attacks mainly targeting police buildings.

There have since been several smaller attacks in the city, the second largest in Nigeria.

"Unknown gunmen on four motorcycles attacked our policemen on foot patrol," KanoState police spokesman Magaji Majia said of Thursday's assault. A morgue official said it had received the bodies of four policemen.

Police said 15 suspects were arrested but did not speculate on the identity of the gunmen.